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11.1.17

KRICKET, SOHO

I'm sure you know by now that I'm a big fan of Kricket. I've reviewed them twice, and they've appeared in my Top 10 2015 and 2016, the latter being due to the fact that they've got a new restaurant. I've been twice now since they secretly opened in Soho in December, taking Rhea with me both times so we could eat all the sharing plates of Indian food they're serving up at their new site on Denman Street. Not only is the food as good, if not better, than the original site in Brixton but the interiors are some of the most beautiful I've seen in any restaurant. I know I sound like I'm gushing, but honestly, go and visit their Soho restaurant and tell me if you don't think the same....Our first visit was the launch night. We had a sneak peak of the restaurant and gorged on the non stop mini versions of their signature dishes that were being handed out. Starting, of course, with Keralan Fried Chicken with curry leaf mayo and deep fried curry leaves. Worth a trip for this alone. The chicken is some of the best fried chicken I've ever tasted.

Other snacks included a dish I hadn't tried before, but have tried again since - lamb galouti faggot with pickled and fried shallots - which were just the most delicious mouthfuls of meaty richness and tangy chutney.

With an ever changing menu we were back the next week for more of our favourites and more new dishes we hadn't tried before. In fact, the menu has changed again since I was there last, so I'll be back soon for the butter garlic crab (which I had last year in Brixton and became slightly enamoured with....), and lamb haleem, fresh ginger and fried onions.We kicked things off (again) with a full sized portion of the always faultless KFC.

And then proceeded to order most of the menu, much to the amusement of the GM who hadn't quite understood how much food us two can put away! Bone marrow and cep kulcha bread, and the Malabar paratha are both unmissable if they're on the menu. Soft, pillowy breads, cooked to order and ideal for mopping up sauces, if you don't eat them all before the sauce laden dishes arrive...

Another dish that's lasted the course and I've never seen not on the menu is the samphire pakoras with date and tamarind chutney and chilli garlic mayo. Individual samphire spears are coated in the lightest batter which is then doused in chutney, dunked in mayo and gobbled up by us.

I think my favourite dish of that night though was the Karnatakan mussels. Inspired by head chef Will's travels in India these are light and fresh and zingy with onion, tamarind and mustard seed, and the mussels so plump and juicy.

Another favourite were the scallops, which I'd had before in Brixton. A Lassoni scallop with goan sausage (which is specially made for Kricket by the butcher they use), poha and seaweed. Perfectly cooked and flavoured we were scooping the sauces from the scallop shell with a spoon... having maybe eaten all the bread by this point!

The star of the veggie dishes for me was the delica pumpkin, roasted and topped with makhani sauce, fresh paneer, hazelnut crumble and puffed wild rice. Sweet and rich, yet lighter with a mouthful of paneer on the fork.

We ate more on the night, and will eat more again soon at Kricket. We had a wonderful evening sitting at the countertop overlooking the kitchen but if privacy is more your thing there are booths dotted around for larger groups, then long sharing tables a la Brixton original site downstairs. Whatever you do though, if you like red wine, order the bottle above. It's an Argentinian Malbec and at £36 a bottle it's one of the best value for quality wines I've had recently. You're welcome!

I can't believe I didn't make it before I left buy your reviews have ensured Kricket will be my first meal out once I'm home! I love the sound of ALL the dishes and am so intrigued by "Indian" mussels and scallops, yum! Love AP xo